Knitting-machine.



A. SCHWARTZ.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 22.1915.

Patented June 5, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

T BY

viva/Zuni ORNEYS QWJ A. SCHWARTZ.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. l9l6- Patented June 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

A. SCHWARTZ.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1916.

Patented June 5, 1917.

LQ28A83.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- IN VEN TOR.

ALVIN SCHWARTZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed J'une'22, 1916. Serial No. 105,115.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN SCHWARTZ, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the borough of Manhattan of the cit of New York, county of New York, in the tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates primarily to straight knitting machines of the Lamb type, which have two straight rows of successively operated, independent needles, at opposite sides of the line of travel of the yarn-carrier, and supportedon needle-beds inclined upwardly toward the middle line. The main object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby, on machines of this type, it shall be possible to knit flat work with longitudinal, that is, vertical stripes, or with a checked pattern, or with bias stripes, or with zigzag stripes. In its main features the machine to which the invention is applied may be constructed substantially as usual, particularly with respect to the needle-beds, needles, needle-cams, the camcarrier or carriage, and the means for actuating it, either by hand or power. The inven tion is particularly concerned with the yarnguides and the means for controlling the operation thereof. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with refer-4 ence to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated and in which,

Figure 1 is a top view of a knitting machine equipped With the improved devices.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail view, on a larger scale, illustrating particularly the yarn-guides and means for actuating and controlling the same.

Fig. 4 is a view in section on the plane indicated by the line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a portion of the devices for controlling the movement of the yarn-carriers.

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views to enlarged scale. 7

The frame a of the machine supports the usual grooved needle-beds b, on which are,

mounted the usual needles 0, operated in the and arranged to operate-in any usual or suitable manner. I

It will be understood that for convenience in illustration the needle-beds are shown to be short and the number of needles on each side to be small, and that in practice the needle-beds may be much longer and the number of needles much greater. The yarnguides and their controlling devices, also for convenience in illustration, are shown as few in number and as adaptedto produce only a fabric with two vertical stripes or with checks in two colors, or with zigzag stripes in two colors, the number of yarn-guides bein increased with the length of the needleeds and according to the results to be produced.

In the embodiment of the invention shown there are two yarn guides 61 and d at one side of the machine and two yarn guides d and d at the other side of the machine. For knitting a fabric with two vertical stripes, the two yarn-guides d and (Z are used; for knitting a checked fabric in two colors, and for knitting a fabric with bias stripes running in one direction only the three yarnguides d, (Z and (5 may be used; and for knitting a fabric with zigzag stripes, inclined in both directions, the four yarn-guides d, (P, (Z and d may be used.

The yarn-guides, at opposite sides of the machine are mounted frictionally on rods 03 which are supported at their ends by suit-able brackets (Z from the frame of the machine. The yarn-guides are movable longitudinally on the rods cl, but with suflicient friction to prevent accidental movement thereof. They are moved by the canrcarrier 0 through drivers (Z The engagement between the yarn-guides and the drivers is of a yielding nature, such that the driver may pass beyond the yarn-guide in the continued movement of the cam-carrier, when the yarn-guide is restrained from further movement. To accomplish this result, in the construction guide is prevented from further movementgagement therewith, so that when the yarnthe driver will slip over the heel of the yarnguide and continue its ownmovement with the cam-carrier. 4

Stops are provided to limit the movement of each yarn-guide, in each direction, at such point as may be required by the pattern of the fabric to be produced, the stopsbemg movable to vary the position according to the pattern. In the construction shown, two rods e and e are supported parallel with. the rods 03 and respectively in close prox imity to the corresponding rod 03. They are parts in the. positions shown, the yarn-guide movable together in longitudinal direction, being conveniently connected at their ends, for this purpose, by cross-bars s and each is preferably angular in cross-section and is rotatable on its own axis for a purpose to be described, being provided at one end or the other, or at each end, with a handle e". The

.rods 6', e may be guided for longitudinal movement in the brackets 03 and may be rotatably supported therein by rotatable bearing blocks d grooved circumferentially and held in'position by screws (W, as clearly shown in-Fig. 6. The rods 0, 6 may receive endwise movement through a cross-head f in which they have bearings f which permit rotation but prevent relative longitudinal movement of the rods and the cross-head, and the cross-head may be split, as at F, and provided with clamping screws f to bind the bearings f and prevent rotation thereof. The cross-head may have a depending, vertically slottedyoke f for engagement with a pin f in the upper end of a lever ff, which is pivoted at f" and carries at its lower end a detent pin f for engagement with a' fixed segment 'f". By these means the rods e, 6 may be moved longitudinally to any desired extent, within limits, and held in their adjusted position.-

The rod 6 carries several stops g, g, 9 g and the rod e carries 'corres onding stops it, h, if, h Each'stop is pre erably slipped on the corresponding rod and secured by a set screw, as shown, so that its position on shoulder of each thread-guide, as hereinafter described.

It being understood that the machine shown in the drawings is adapted for twocolor work and for the formation of a fabric with two vertical stripes or with two rows of checks, or with stripes of two colors,.

assumed that the crank 0* is rotated contrary clockwise and that the crank having just passed the horizontal position and moving downward, the cam-carrier c is moved sliightly toward the right from its extreme le hand position. The driveral" on the rear side of the carrier then stands just behind the heel d of the yarn-guide d and in the continued movement of the carrier pushes the yarn-guide ahead of it until the yarn-guide strikes the stop 9 The yarnguide d then ceases its movement, the driver 01 slipping over the-heel d in the continued movement 'of the cam-carrier. With the d rests against the right hand side of the stop' it during the described movement of the yarn-guide d. It will be observed, however, that the stops 2 and k are not in line, the stop h being arther to the left than the stop 9 Therefore, just before the yarnguide (5 makes contact with the stop 9 the driver d", on the forward side of the camcarrier engages the yarn-guide ol and begins its movement to the right before the yarn-guide d stops. This arrangement is made in order that the yarn-guide (1 which may be supposed to carry a'black thread, may lay its yarn into'the same needles, then advanced by the cams, into which the yarn carried by the guide (1, which may be supposed to be a red yarn, is laid by the yarnguide (5, the two stripes being thus united. As the yarn-guide 03 stops at the point described, during the right hand movement of the cam-carrier, and the yarn-guide: d is carried to the right from that line byits driven, the knitting will be'continued with the black yarn. When'the yarn-guide d reaches the stop h its movement will cease and its driver will slip beyond it, in the continued movement of the cam-carrier to the right. The yarn-guide d is shown in a position to be overlapped by the movement of the yarn-guide d", but in the knitting of plain striped fabrics the yarn-guide 03 would be moved by hand farther to the right before the knitting commences and would be idle. As the cam-carrier moves to the left, from its extreme right hand position, the driver a? at the front of the machine will first engage the yarn-guide d and move it from the left hand side of the stop it to the right hand side of the stop k leaving it there, and the driver d at the rear of the machine will at the same time pick up the yarn-guide (1 previously left at the left hand side of the stop 9 and will move it to movement of the cam-carrier. These operations will be repeated as long as the formation of the knitted fabric is continued, making a fabric with a red stripe at the left and a black stripe at the right.

If a checked fabric is to be made, both yarn-guides d and ol are provided with am of the same color, as black, and are brought into operation alternately, while the yarn-guide d operates alone with yarn of another color, as. red. The formation of the first two checks side by side is carried on in the same way as before described with respect to the formation of the two stripes, but when the first two checks have been formed the rods 6, e are moved to the right by a space equal to the width of the check. This carries the yarn-guide cl to the right so that the red yarn carried by it will form the red check at the right. It also carries the yarn-guide d far enough to the right to become idle and carries the yarn-guide d far enough to the right to permit the black yarn carried by 'it to form the black check at the left hand of the fabric. When the two checks have been completed in the usual manner, the rods e, e are moved again to the left, to their original position, and the formation of the next two checks with the yarn-guides ti and (Z is carried on as before.

It is necessary at times in the operation of the machine, as for example, when the yarn-guide (Z is to be moved to an idle position, that it shall be carried beyond the stop which would otherwise'check its move- .ment. It is in order to permit this that the rods c and e are made rotatable, so that the beveled toe of each stop may be moved out of-the path of thepoint of the beveled shoulder d of the yarn-guide involved, the rod being returned to its operative position as soon as the yarn-guide has passed the stop involved. The purpose in beveling the toe of each stop and the engaging portion of each yarn-guide is to permit each yarn-guide which has been moved in one direction beyond a stop, through the turning of the rod, to be moved past the stop in the opposite direction, when required, without necessitating the rotation of the rod. There is sufficient flexibility in the rods (1, e and e to permit such a stop and yarn-guide to be separated by the coasting beveled surfaces sufiiciently to permit the passage of the yarn-guide beyond the stop in the corresponding direction, while such passage of the arn-guide beyond the stop in the opposite direction is not possible because of the engagement of the straight sides.

For the formation of bias stripes (of course, with stepped edges) the operation of the machine is carried on as already described with respect to the formation of checks, but with the shifting of the rods e and e and of the stops at more frequent intervals, the locking segment f belng provided for this purpose with holes intermedlate between the extremes. If these bias stripes run only in one direction, the work can be accomplished with the use of three yarn-guldes asalready described, but if the stripes are to be zigzag, inclined first in one direction and then in the other, the yarnguide d also carrying red yarn, is brought into operation.

It will be understood that in the operation of the improved machine shown in the drawings for the purposes stated, the yarnguides on opposite sides of the machine are operated in alternation and that, in order that the portion of the fabric of different color may be united, instead of forming separate strips, each yarn-guide on one side must overlap, in its movement, the next yarn-guide on the other side in order that the yarns carried by both yarn-guides may be laid into a common needle. It is therefore necessary that the yarn-guides on opposite sides be offset in different longitudinal planes, as well as that the stops for cooperation therewith be ofi'set in different transverse planes.

It will also be understood that many dif-- ferent patterns can be produced with the improved mechanism, that the number of yarn-guides and stops may be increased according to the requirements of the pattern, and that various changes in details of construction and arrangement may be made to suit the construction of the machine to which the improved device maybe applied and the character of the work to be done.

lit will be seen further that for some purposes the means for the operation of the yarn-guides in succession might be employed in connection with only one set of needles, the needles of the other set, in the machine illustrated in the drawings, being out of operation, or that alternate yarnguides might be put out of operation. The special purposes with a view to which the invention was developed find their fullest expression, however, in a machine of the character illustrated.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric, the combination with a needle-bed, a set of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles successively, of a plurality of yarn-guides free to pass one another, and means to actuate the yarn-guides in succession, each yarnguide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next suc ceeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

2. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric, the combination with a needle-bed, independent needles and a camcarrier for actuating the needles successively, of a plurality of yarn-guides free to pass one another, and means to actuate the yarn-guides in succession and to carry each beyond the initial position of the next one, each yarnguide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next succeeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

3. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric, the combination with a needle-bed, independent needles and a camcarrier for actuating the needles successively, of a plurality of yarn-guides free to pass one another, yielding means carried with the cam-carrier to actuate the yarnguides in succession, and stops to check the yarn-guides, each yarn-guide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next succeeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

4:. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric, the combination with a needle-bed, independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles successively, of a rod parallel with the needlebed, yarn-guides mounted movably on the rod, a yielding driver carried by the camcarrier to engage the corresponding yarnguides yieldingly, and means to disengage the yarn-guides from the driver and check their movement at different points, each yarn-guide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next succeeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

5. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles, and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of a plurality of yarn-guides free to pass one another, and means to actuate the yarnguides in succession, each yarn-guide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next succeeding yarnguide, the movement of which then commences.

6. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles, and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of a plurality of yarn-guides free to pass one another, and means to actuate the yarnguides in succession and to carry each beyond the initial position of the next one of the opposite set, each yarn-guide comin to rest after it has moved beyond ,the initial position of the next succeeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

7 In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles, and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of a plurality of yarn-guides arranged in almasses ternation on opposite sides of the longitudinal plane and free to pass one another, and

means to actuate the yarn-guides in succession, each yarn-guide coming to rest after it has moved beyond the initial position of the next succeeding yarn-guide, the movement of which then commences.

8. In a knitting machine for knitting versite side.

9. In a knitting machine for knittingvertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of a plurality of yarn-guides arranged in alternation on opposite sides'of the longitudinal plane and free to pass one another, yielding means carried with the cam-carrier to'actuate-the yarn-guides in succession, and stops to check the yarn-guides, the stops on opposite sides being offset in transverse planes to permit each yarn-guide to overlap the next in its movement.

10. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of a plurality of yarn-guides arranged in alternation on opposite sides of the longitudinal plane and free to pass one another, yielding means carried with the cam-carrier to actuate the yarn-guides in succession, stops to check the yarn-guides, the stops on opposite sides being ofi'set in transverse planes to permit each yarn-guide to overlap the next in its movement, and means to shift the positions of the stops.

11. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle beds and sets of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of rods'on opposite sides of the. longitudinal mid-plane, yarn-guides mounted movably on said rods, a driver carried by the cam-carrier on each side of the longitudinal mid-plane to engage the corresponding yarn-guides, and means to disengage the yarn-guides automatically from the drivers and check their movement at diiferent points in alternation on opposite sides of the longitudinal mid-plane.

12. In a knittin machine for knitting vertically striped fa ric having two opposed needle-beds and sets ofindependent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of rods on opposite sides of the longitudinal mid-plane, yarn-guides mounted movably on said rods, a yielding driver carried by the cam-carrier on each side ofthe longitudinal mid-plane to engage the corresponding yarn-guides, and means to disengage the yarn-guides automatically from the drivers and check their movement at different points in alternation on opposite sides carrier on each side of the longitudinal midplane to engage the corresponding yarnguides, rods adjacent respectively to the first named rods, and stops carried by said rods to disengage the yarn-guides from the drivers and check their movement at difi'erent points.

14. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combination of rods on opposite sides of the longitudinal mid-plane, yarn-guides mounted movably on said rods, a driver carried by the cam-carrier on each side of the longitudinal mid-plane to engage the corresponding yarn-guides, rods adjacent respectively to the first named rods, stops carried by said 40 rods to disengage the yarn-guides from the drivers and check their movement at different points, and means to shift the last named rods and the stops thereon.

15. In a knitting machine for knitting vertically striped fabric having two opposed needle-beds and sets of independent needles and a cam-carrier for actuating the needles of both sets successively, the combinationof rods on opposite sides of the longitudinal mid-plane, yarn-guides mounted movably on said rods, a driver carried by the camcarrier on each side of the longitudinal midplane to engage the corresponding yarnguides, rods adjacent respectively to the first named rods, stops carried by said rods to disenage the yarn-guides from the drivers and check their movement at different points, and means to shift the last named rods and the stops thereon, the last named rods being rotatable to prevent engagement of the stops With the yarn-guides.

This specification signed this 20th day of "June A. D. 1916.

ALVIN SCHWARTZ. 

